A life-size statue of the late evangelist Billy Graham is set to replace a statue of a white supremacist in the US Capitol’s Statuary Hall next year, according to Religion News Service.
The new statue will depict Graham as he appeared in the 1960s, preaching and holding a Bible in one hand.
Chris Fagan, who is designing and sculpting the 10-foot-tall statue of Graham, has created sculptures of other religious figures, including St. John Paul II, and Mother Teresa. A North Carolina legislative committee has endorsed the statue model.
The Capitol’s Statuary Hall consists of 100 statues contributed by 50 states, two figures each donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history.
Graham, a native of North Carolina, will stand in place of a statue of Charles Aycock (1859-1912), a former governor of the state and figure of controversy.
In the late 1890s, Aycock was a leading spokesman for the Democratic Party’s white supremacist activities in the state. He was a part of a fear and intimidation campaign that sought to forcefully suppress the black vote and sow racial distrust.
“He was a racist,” North Carolina State Sen. Joel Ford said of Aycock. “I’m quite frankly honored to be able to sponsor a piece of legislation that would honor the Rev. Billy Graham.”
This is not the first time Graham’s name has come up for the Statuary Hall collection. Five years ago, former North Carolina state Sen. Dan Soucek pushed the idea while the evangelist was still living.